Top



W. J. KERR.

TOP.

APPLICATION FILED Qc. 13. 191,9..

1,338,579 Patented Apr. 27,1920.

WILLIAM J. KEER, OF SMETI-IPORT, IIENNSYLVANIAY TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application filed October 13, 1919.` Serial No. 330,208.

To all whom t mayconcern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. KERR, a citizen of the United States,residing at `Smethport, in the county of McKean and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tops;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same. f

My invention relates to games and toys and more particularly to a top,and the principal object of the invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive device of this class by whose use very pleasing opticaleffects may be produced, both while the top is operating in a horizontalposition or traveling along a cord or like track.

In carrying out the above end, I make use of a number of novel featuresof construction and a unique combination of parts, as hereinafterdescribed and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawing.

` Figure 1 is a vertical section of a top constructed in accordance withmy invention.

Fig. 2 is a top planview of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing a slightly different form of the,device.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeralll designates acasing preferably stamped from sheet metal, said casing being open atits upper end and having a circular side wall 2. Rising from the bottomof the casing 1 is a central staff 3 which may be attached thereto inany preferred manner. This staff is in most cases tubular and isprovided with a conical upper end 4f forming both an internal and anexternal bearing center. A thimble or hub 5 loosely surrounds the staffl3 and is equipped with a conical upper end 6 likewise forming internaland external bearing centers. The internal center of the thimble 5 restsupon the outermost center of the staff' 3 and the thimble is thussupported for rotation with little friction. The internal bearing centerof the staff' 3 preferably rests on a center 7 on the upper end of astem 8 which is receivable loosely in said staff, and although notessential, said stem is by preference equipped with an enlarged lowerend 9 having a prot jecting bearing center 10. The thimble 5 carries arather heavy spinning disk 11 and;

when said thimble and disk are spun, for

instance by a suitable top string 12, they will operate for a greatlength of time, since little friction exists. When the casing 1 issupported by the stem 8 loosely received in the central staff 3 asshown, rotation of the disk 11 and its thimble 5 also cause rotation ofsaid staff and casing, and such rotation will continue whether the stem8 be held in the` uscrs hand or allowed to stand upright on the center10. Furthermore, if the top is spun while holding the stem in one handand the entire device is then dropped to the floor, the several partswill remain in proper relation with each other and will continue torotate. Furthermore, after starting the disk 11 rotating, the top may beinverted so that said disk and its thimble 5 will drop from theremainder of the device and may spin in an inverted position.

In connection with the features above described, I employ a ring-likedisk 13 resting loosely on the spinning disk 11, with the hub or thimble5 of the latter passing loosely through the central opening 14 of saidring-like disk. .This disk is adapted for running contact with thecircular wall 2 of the casing 1 and may be ornamented in any suitableway, and when the device is operated, very pleasing effects will beproduced. I have found that when the disk 13 is ornamented in the mannershown, some figures thereof appear to travel in one direction whileothers seem to move reversely, certain of such figures in the meantimeappearing as if rotating upon individual cen Vters asl well as shiftingradially. The disk in question is moved against the wall 2 bycentrifugal force and does not seem to roll smoothly around such wall,but rather jumps inwardly and outwardly, contacting intermittently withsaid wall. ments of disk and suitable ornamentation thereof serve toproduce the effects above pointed out.

During operation of the device, an annular stop flange 15 on theupper-end of the thimble 5, prevents any possibility of the disk 13flying from said thimble. This flange comes into play principally whenthe parts 5, 13 and 11 are operating in an inverted position or when thecasing 1 is traveling along a cord or like track, for which purpose saidcasing is provided with an external circumferential groove 16.

In some forms of the device, instead of providing the stem 8 shown inFig. 1, I may employ a shorter stem 8a fitting either fixedly orremovably in the statt 3 and provided at its lower end with a bearingcenter 10, as seen in Fig. 3.

All forms of the device are simple and inexpensive yet have proven to behighly entertaining. Since probably the best re'- sults are obtainedfrom the details shown, they may well be followed. I wish it understoodhowever that within the scope, of the invention as claimed, numerousminor changes may be made.

I claim:

l. A top comprising a casingopen at .its upper end and provided with acircular side wall, a central staff` rising from the bottom of saidcasing and having a bearing on its upper end, a thimble looselysurrounding said staf and resting rotatably on said bearing, a spinningdisk carried by said thimble, and a loosevdisk adapted to be supportedby said spinning ,disk tor contact with saidy circular wall.

2. A top comprising a casing open at its upper end and provided with acircular side wall, a central :stall1v rising V'from the bottom of saidcasing andvprovided at its upper end with a bearing center, a thimbleloosely and removably surrounding said stal and having both external andinternal bearing centers, the latter engaging said bearing center orsaid staff, a spinning disk carried by said thirnble, and a loose` diskadapted to be supported by said spinning disk for contact with said`circular wall.

3. A top comprising a casing open at its upper end andprovided with acircular side wall, a central tubular staff. rising from the bottom ofsaid casing and having a closed upper end providedwith both external andinternal bearing centers, a thimble loosely surrounding said staff andresting on said external bearingcenter, a stem for loose reception insaid staff and having a bearing center upon which said internal centeris adapted to rest, a spinning diskcarried by said thimble, and a loosedisk adapted to be supported by said spinning disk for contact with saidcircularwall.

4l. A top comprising a statt4 havingr` a bearing center at its upperend, a thimble loosely surrounding said staff and resting on saidcenter, a spinning disk carried by said thimble, a ring-like diskthrough whose opening said thimble extends loosely, and an annular stopflange on Vsaid thimble above said spinning disk to retain said ringlikedisk against accidental displacement.

5. A structure as specilied in claim 4; said thimble having at its upperend an external bearing center whereby it mayy stand and rotate in aninverted position.

6. A top comprising a casing having a circular side wall providedwith acircumferential groove in its outer side adapted to receive 'a cord orlike track, and a spinning disk rotatably mounted in said casing.

7. A top comprising a casing having an open upper end anda circular sidewall provided with an external circumferential groove adapted to travelon a cord or like track, a spinning disk mounted in said casing andhaving a central hub portion, Vand a loose disk rotatably supported bysaid spinning disk for contact with said circular wall.

8. A top comprising a casing having an open upper end and a circularside wall provided with an external 'circumferential groove adapted'totravel. on a cord or like track., a spinning disky mounted rotatably insaid casingand having a central hub, a ring-like disk through whoseopening said hub extends loosely, said ring-like disk resting on saidspinning disk and being adapted for. contact with said. circular wall,and an annular flange on said hub vto prevent accidental displacement ofsaid ring-like disk.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM J. KERK.

